Vehicle info: 2004 Explorer Limited, V8, loaded, 256,000 km's

Problem 1. A while ago my Rt Frt door's window would go down but not up with the switch. I could manually raise the glass by using pins and a battery at the plug. Bought a new switch, nothing changed. Bought a used master control for the drivers door, no change. Advise here thought a broken wire in the door. Could not find any but did not strip out the harness. Yesterday i lost use of all windows including the master switches. Only the unlock side of the button on the master control works. The owners manual is useless for info and i checked the two items listed, a circuit breaker and a fuse. Both good. I had my kid push the button while i opened and closed doors, wiggled harnesses and nothing. Everything worked good one day, then the next it was 50/50 to nothing on the 3rd day. Any ideas on where to look and what to look for? Could it be a bad regulator? if so are they all tied to one circuit so that if one goes, nothing works?


Problem 2. My rear view mirror has started going to the dark shade during the day( a green tint). If i turn it off, it goes clear only to go dark after i turn it on or re start the vehicle. Never did this before. Its not a big deal, just wondering if it is tied to the window circuit as it started when the windows quit.

Your thoughts are appreciated as i always get good info on this site.



Thanks for looking


Ed

 

I'm away from my home, and therefore my service manuals, but I can tell you the window regulator would not cause all of the windows to not work. The window regulator is mechanical, not electrical. If you are not hearing any clicking when pressing the power window buttons, I doubt the issue is the regulator at all.

First thing to check, does the power window switch backlighting work when the headlights are on? If not, the ground wire, which is common to the switches and the backlighting, is probably bad. Beyond that you'll need to break out the test light or multimeter and a wiring diagram and make some measurements.

I don't really think the dimming mirror is related either. There's probably a sensor that is not working and causing that to dim.

-Rod

 

Thanks for the reply Shorod, the back lighting does not work but did prior. If there is a bad ground, can you direct me where to start looking for it? As for the mirror it is not a issue, was just asking. It's the windows i really would like to work again. Is there a test i can do with a jumper ground to see if the switches will work?


Thanks for your help

Ed

 

I had similar electrical issues with my '02 XLT. The dome lights would stay on until the battery saver feature turned them off, the accessory delay wasn't working, the driver side puddle light didn't work, the keypad on the door would set off the alarm when I pressed it, the door ajar light would flash and beep at highway speeds, the radio would shut off as soon as I turned the key off, the alarm would beep twice when I armed it. Recently all 4 windows stopped working. Most recently the driver door lock actuator stopped working.

A lot of electrical issues can be traced back to broken/damaged wire(s) in the boot between the body and the driver's door. I found 3 broken wires and repaired them. The thin black ground wire was broken and after repairing it all was back to normal. When the windows stopped working, I repaired the thick black ground wire and the windows now work like a champ. I had to repair the pink/black wire to fix the driver door lock actuator.

Here is the thread for removing the door panel: How To: Remove/Replace 3rd Gen Door Panel - Ford Explorer Ranger Enthusiasts "Serious Explorations"®

Here is a great thread for checking for broken/damaged wires, thanks to synyster for this awesome write-up: How To: Fix the Door Ajar Problem - Ford Explorer Ranger Enthusiasts "Serious Explorations"®

Be sure to take your time when looking for broken/damaged wire(s). Check all the wires for breaks/damage. When you think you're done looking, look again, and again, and again. A bright flashlight can be very helpful.

Hope this helps out!

 

Thanks for the tips, i pulled the boot between the drivers door and pillar. First thing i see is a broken white wire, after a quick look i see two more smaller broken wires. So i have 3 at least to repair. Being a bodyman and looking at the pillar, i see im in for a bit of work ahead getting access to these wires where you can actually work on them. Boy i wish there was a plug right at the pillar and not through it and down by my foot. Just more stuff to remove i guess. I can see this being a real fun repair but i want my windows working.


Thanks, let you know how it turned out.

 

Sorry for the delay in responding. I was on business travel last week and camping all weekend. It sounds like you've got a handle on the issue. If you need to a wiring diagram to help you determine where those three broken wires should go, send me a Private Message with the request AND an e-mail address for you.

-Rod